How to Convert MP3 to WAV in Audacity

Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor for Windows, macOS and Linux. It’s a good choice when you want to edit the audio (trim, fade, normalize) as part of the conversion. If you only need the conversion itself, our browser-based converter is quicker, and Windows users have other free options too: see how to convert MP3 to WAV on Windows.

These steps are for current Audacity versions (3.4 and later). Older versions use the same ideas with slightly different menu names.

Convert a single MP3 to WAV

1. Open the MP3. Choose File → Open and select your MP3, or drag it into the Audacity window.
2. Edit if you want. Trim silence, apply a fade, or use Effect → Volume and Compression → Normalize.
3. Export. Choose File → Export Audio…
4. Pick the format. Set Format to WAV (Microsoft).
5. Choose settings:
   • Channels: Stereo for music, Mono for speech
   • Sample Rate: usually 44100 Hz for music or 48000 Hz for video
   • Encoding: Signed 16-bit PCM for maximum compatibility, Signed 24-bit PCM or 32-bit float for further studio work
6. Choose a file name and folder, then click Export.

If Audacity shows a metadata window, you can fill in artist and title or just click OK.

Batch convert many MP3s with Macros

Audacity’s Macros apply the same steps to a whole folder.

1. Choose Tools → Macro Manager.
2. Click New, name it “Export WAV”, and click OK.
3. Click Insert, choose Export as WAV, and click OK. Add other steps such as Normalize first if you want them.
4. Click Save.
5. Select your new macro and click Files…, then choose all the MP3s you want to convert.

Audacity processes each file and saves the WAVs in a folder called macro-output next to your original files.

Tip: if you only need plain conversions without edits, a browser converter or FFmpeg is faster than Audacity for large batches.

Which encoding should you choose?

Encoding	When to use it
Signed 16-bit PCM	Default choice: CDs, sharing, DJ software, hardware samplers
Signed 24-bit PCM	Further mixing or mastering in a DAW
32-bit float	Heavy processing, or importing into a 32-bit float project

For a deeper explanation, read WAV sample rate and bit depth.

Common problems

• “Audacity can’t open MP3 files.” Recent versions read MP3 out of the box. Very old versions needed the separate LAME/FFmpeg libraries, so updating Audacity fixes this.
• The export sounds distorted. If you raised the volume, the audio may be clipping. Use Normalize with a peak of −1 dB, or export as 32-bit float.
• The project rate is wrong. The sample rate in the export window (or the Project Rate in the bottom toolbar in some versions) controls the WAV’s rate. Set it before exporting.

Prefer not to install anything?

Our free MP3 to WAV converter does the same conversion in your browser, with batch conversion and ZIP download, and your files never leave your computer.

Frequently asked questions

Does Audacity lose quality when exporting an MP3 as WAV?

No audible loss. Audacity decodes the MP3 into 32-bit float audio, and exporting only rounds each sample to the bit depth you choose. For 16-bit exports it also adds dither by default (a faint noise that masks rounding errors), which you can change in the Quality section of Audacity’s preferences. Pick 32-bit float encoding to skip rounding entirely. The WAV still can’t sound better than the MP3.

Does Audacity keep the MP3’s title and artist?

Partly. When you export, Audacity’s metadata window shows the tags it read from the MP3, and you can edit them. It writes text fields such as artist, title and year into the WAV, but cover art isn’t carried over, and some players and DJ programs ignore WAV tags. If the tags matter, keep the original MP3 alongside the WAV or retag the WAV with a tool such as Mp3tag.

Can Audacity split one long MP3 into several WAV files?

Yes, using labels. Select each part you want as a separate file and press Ctrl+B (Cmd+B on a Mac) to add a named label. Then choose File → Export Audio, set Export Range to Multiple Files, split by labels, and pick WAV as the format. Audacity saves one WAV per label, named after the label, which is handy for turning a long recording or a DJ mix into CD tracks.

What is the difference between WAV (Microsoft) and Other uncompressed files?

WAV (Microsoft) is the standard WAV that almost every program expects, so use it for nearly everything. Other uncompressed files lets you choose the header and encoding yourself, for example RF64 or Wave64 for recordings larger than the 4 GB limit of a standard WAV, or unusual encodings that some old hardware needs. An MP3 conversion won’t come close to 4 GB, so stick with WAV (Microsoft).